Noah Berlatsky

Noah Berlatsky edits the online comics and culture website the Hooded Utilitarian.  He writes for Slate, Reason, and Splice Today. He is the author of a forthcoming book about the original Wonder Woman comics.

Indie Rock Is Losing Its Edge Right Before Our Eyes (and So What?)

Indie Rock Is Losing Its Edge Right Before Our Eyes (and So What?)

Suuns' new album reminds that much of the joy of the today's art rock is the way it inhabits a tradition. More »

The Secret Lives of Prostitutes, as Told by Julia Stiles's YouTube Series

The Secret Lives of Prostitutes, as Told by Julia Stiles's YouTube Series

'Blue,' the WIGS show about a working mom who moonlights as an escort, plays on the idea that knowledge is power. More »

Track of the Day: 'White Stone'

Track of the Day: 'White Stone'

Listen up... More »

If Rom Coms Are Getting Worse, It's Not Because Society's Getting Better

If Rom Coms Are Getting Worse, It's Not Because Society's Getting Better

Blame Hollywood, not premarital sex. More »

Emmylou Harris: Better Collaborator Than Soloist (and That's a Good Thing)

Emmylou Harris: Better Collaborator Than Soloist (and That's a Good Thing)

The folk singer's new album showcases her talent as a sharer of musical vision. More »

'The Woman They Couldn't Kill!' Meet She-Devil, Forgotten Female Superhero

'The Woman They Couldn't Kill!' Meet She-Devil, Forgotten Female Superhero

A superheroine to add to the Wonder Woman's ranks, from an unlikely source More »

Beyond 'Here's This Cute Thing My Kid Did': The Exquisite Drama of Parenting Stories

Beyond 'Here's This Cute Thing My Kid Did': The Exquisite Drama of Parenting Stories

Narratives about child-rearing have been maligned as boring. King Lear would beg to differ. More »

The Brilliant Black-Metal Album About Plants Wiping Out Humankind

The Brilliant Black-Metal Album About Plants Wiping Out Humankind

Botanist's new record 'Mandragora' imagines a world in which flora has defeated fauna. More »

'Star Wars' Needs a New Approach to Gender—Not Just More Women

'Star Wars' Needs a New Approach to Gender—Not Just More Women

Science fiction has a history of asking big questions about the sexes. It's time for'Star Wars' to take some pointers from its genre. More »

The Real Problem With Superman's New Writer Isn't Bigotry, It's Fascism

The Real Problem With Superman's New Writer Isn't Bigotry, It's Fascism

Orson Scott Card wouldn't just contradict the Man of Steel's inherent goodness—he'd highlight his inherent fascism. More »

The Descendants of Murderers

The Descendants of Murderers

The new documentary 'Hitler's Children' shows the struggle to confront the atrocities of one's own past More »

Why Don't More People Call Beyonce a Genius?

Why Don't More People Call Beyonce a Genius?

Titles like "Queen Bey" overshadow her early, brilliant music. But she's probably OK with that. More »

What Betty Friedan Could Have Learned from Reading 'Agnes Grey'

What Betty Friedan Could Have Learned from Reading 'Agnes Grey'

The 1847 Anne Brontë novel can be read as both a critique of 'The Feminine Mystique' and an illustration of it. More »

I'm Not Proud, but I'm Not Alone: A Lazy Parent's Meditations

I'm Not Proud, but I'm Not Alone: A Lazy Parent's Meditations

Many moms and dads have moments of falling woefully short of their lofty parenting goals. It's not ideal—but sometimes, it's okay. More »

'Side Effects' Rejects the Usual Sexism of Noir but Is Sexist in Its Own Way

'Side Effects' Rejects the Usual Sexism of Noir but Is Sexist in Its Own Way

Classics of the genre like "The Big Sleep" vilify women, while Steven Soderbergh's latest seems to think female characters are just not that important. More »

Wonder Woman's Violent, Man-Pandering Second Act

Wonder Woman's Violent, Man-Pandering Second Act

Her creator envisioned her as an antidote to the "blood-curdling masculinity" of comic books. But her modern-day reboot embraces the gore and crude sexuality she was originally supposed to avoid. More »

Why Geeks Get Bullied (It's Not Necessarily for Being Geeks)

Why Geeks Get Bullied (It's Not Necessarily for Being Geeks)

Privilege, class, and gender are bigger factors than some want to admit. More »

Charlotte + Mr. Collins 4-Eva: In Praise of Jane Austen's Lukewarm Romance

Charlotte + Mr. Collins 4-Eva: In Praise of Jane Austen's Lukewarm Romance

Sure, the two "Pride and Prejudice" characters don't have the all-consuming, uncompromising passion of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy—but how many couples do? More »

The Feminist Objection to Women in Combat

The Feminist Objection to Women in Combat

One of the male patriarchal values that has been consistently criticized by feminists is war. More »

The '50 Shades of Grey' Film Will Be Better Than the Book (but Still Bad)

The '50 Shades of Grey' Film Will Be Better Than the Book (but Still Bad)

Being an adaptation of a bestseller is a better reason to exist than being just a terrible bestseller. More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Photos of Tornado Damage in Moore, Oklahoma

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